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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26213431">Scrambled</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamshaper/pseuds/Dreamshaper'>Dreamshaper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, and a bit fluff, and a bit of angst, and hurt/comfort, cause I'm me lol, more harmless than the canon violence I think though, some ouchies in this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:01:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26213431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamshaper/pseuds/Dreamshaper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Helena isn't a woman of many words or very in touch with her emotions. When she takes a hit to the head though, she might blurt out some things she usually wold have kept to herself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>New fic (because of course :D) I hope you guys will like it :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s not often that Harley Quinn ends up fighting with the Birds of Prey, but whenever she does, she seems to enjoy herself quite a bit as she goes to work on the bad guys with either a bat or her trusty mallet; and it makes Helena feel oddly good that Harley is so obviously into it, as it means she’s not the only one in the group who enjoys fighting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knows that Dinah and Renee enjoy their nightly exploits too, but she’s fairly certain they don’t enjoy it quite as much as she does; when she’s fighting, she’s competent, unstoppable, good at what she does, brilliant, even, nowhere near the awkward mess she is at all other times, who never knows what to say or to do and who doesn’t get most of the references the other two make.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harley is using the mallet tonight, and Helena can hear her cackle as she whacks one guy in the face with it, sending him down to the ground with most of his teeth now gone; a few feet away, Dinah kicks another one in the stomach, sending him stumbling backwards towards Helena, and she swipes his legs out from underneath him, then punches him when he’s down, making sure he’ll stay down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was the last one”, Renee comments, taking off her brass knuckles, “good teamwork there at the end.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Agreed”, Dinah says, holding her fist out to Helena; by now, they have done this often enough that Helena doesn’t need to think about it anymore, and she fistbumps the singer, then watches her as she walks to one of the downed men and starts searching his pockets, looking for anything which might clue them in on who’s their employer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From the corner of her eye, Helena notices Harley watching her as she’s watching Dinah, but doesn’t let it bother her; whenever they spend time together, Harley seems to make it her hobby to psychoanalyze her, talking about PTSD and trauma and anxieties and what not, but by now, Helena doesn’t really listen anymore, she knows she has baggage, and sometimes she wonders if it might not be a good idea to actually talk to someone about it, but if she ever will do that, she’s fairly certain it won’t be Harley.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At least for now, Harley has no comments about Helena and her baggage, instead claiming that it’s time for victory drinks now; she adds that she knows a nice bar not far from where the fight has happened, but Renee quickly shoots that idea down, arguing that a bar Harley deems “good” is probably filled to the brim criminals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harley doesn’t deny that, just grins and shrugs, then nods when Renee suggest the bar not far from their headquarters; Dinah claims she will come, too, then gives Helena a questioning look, the assassin shrugging before she nods, figuring a drink or two won’t hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s meet at our base”, Renee says, once again slipping into 80s cop speak, “no drinking and driving, we can walk or take a cab from there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Crossbow”, Dinah pipes up in reply, making Helena look at her again, the assassin taking note of how Harley watches their interaction with interest, “you want to give me a ride?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, sure”, Helena says, it’s not the first time Dinah shows interest in being taken along on her bike, but lately, it has been getting somewhat difficult for her to fulfil those wishes; having Dinah pressed against her back, with her arms wrapped around her, is doing something to her, something she doesn’t want to think about too much, something which makes it a bit difficult to keep her focus on driving and on the road.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She can’t find it within herself to say no though, especially not when Dinah gives her a happy bright smile in response to her agreement; she claps Helena on the shoulder as she walks past her to the exit, and Helena is proud of herself, a few weeks ago, her first response to that unexpected touch would have been to bristle and to clench her fists, but she’s getting used to how Dinah often makes physical contact with her, and it’s not her first instinct anymore to react as if she’s being attacked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw”, Harley lets out as Renee and she follow Dinah and Helena outside, “and I was hoping I’d get a ride on that bike tonight. I’d like to sit on it for once instead of being pulled along behind it on skates.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry”, Dinah says, smirking at her while Helena is already pulling on her helmet, “I got dibs on Helena. I mean, on the bike.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena is glad she’s already wearing her helmet, because she can feel her cheeks colour, but thanks to the helmet no one can see it; she knows what “I got dibs” means, Dinah has explained it to her one evening at the bar when Renee has called dibs on the peanuts and then has smacked Helena’s hand when she’s tried to take some, and almost had gotten punched out of pure reflex, she’s not sure one can call dibs on a person though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, she corrected herself</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she then tells herself, handing the spare helmet to Dinah, the singer by now not complaining anymore about how it ruins her hair and just pulling it on - Helena might not be able to say no to her most other times, but when it comes to the safety rules of bike riding, it doesn’t matter how much Dinah pouts and bats her eyelashes, she won’t let her ride with her without a helmet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She meant the bike ride for sure</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she continues as she gets onto the bike and starts the engine, then waits for Dinah to climb on as well, once again glad that her helmet hides her face as Dinah does so and wraps her arms around her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’s hyper-aware of everything, every tiny spot where Dinah touches her; her front against her back, her arms around her and her hands resting on her stomach, her legs touching the assassin’s, as well, and she has to take a few moments for a few deep breaths before she trusts herself enough to drive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Helena is driving though, she keeps her focus on the road, despite how difficult it gets, especially whenever Dinah moves a bit behind her; the last thing she needs is to make a mistake and crash the bike and get Dinah hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fortunately, they make it to the building they use as their headquarters in one piece, Helena parking her bike and feeling a pang of regret when Dinah gets off of it and the close contact stops; Renee pulls up in her car a minute later, and Harley and she get out of it, Harley grumbling a bit when Renee tells her she can’t bring her mallet to the bar, but putting it onto the backseat after all, her desire for a drink apparently outweighing her need to carry her mallet around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go”, she says once the mallet has been stowed away, clapping her hands, “I want a drink. And free peanuts.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dibs on the peanuts”, Renee says at once as they start walking, as it’s not far to the bar, and Harley pouts again, her pout intensifying when Helena speaks up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You better honour that dibs”, she says, making Dinah laugh, “I didn’t, one time, and Renee hit my hand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She did”, Dinah confirms at Harley’s gasp, “and nearly got punched for her troubles. Ah, fun times.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, the peanuts are all yours”, Harley tells the former cop, “I had my share of fighting today, I don’t want to have my hand hit. Or any other part of my body.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great”, Renee dryly says, then smiles a bit after all; Harley grins back at her, then skips a few steps ahead - before she remembers that she doesn’t know where the bar is and falls back again, Helena once more taking note of how Harley watches her as she walks along next to Dinah, not quite sure what to expect, but fairly certain she’ll find out sooner or later, no matter if she wants to or not.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A few drinks later, Renee has gone off to call her ex girlfriend - not a good idea, Dinah has told her, but the former cop has had enough whisky and beer to not care - and Dinah has excitedly jumped up when a certain song has come on, declaring that this is her jam and that she wants to dance; and so, Helena is alone at the table for now, not sure where Harley has gone, but not minding much, either, she’s content to sit here, drink her beer and watch Dinah dance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey”, Harley makes her return, Helena figuring she’s been at the bar since she holds a fresh drink as she slides onto the bench next to her, “ha, Renee’s not here, this is my chance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grabs a handful of peanuts and shoves them into her mouth, chewing happily; Helena smiles a bit, shaking her head when Harley offers her the peanut bowl, her gaze straying to Dinah again as Harley munches down peanuts as if she’s on the brink of starvation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So”, she says once the bowl has been emptied, and Helena has a moment to hope it will be refilled before Renee comes back, then Harley continues, and the assassin nearly chokes on her beer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How long have you been in love with Dinah, then?” Harley wants to know, looking honestly interested and a bit alarmed when Helena has a coughing fit in reply, helpfully pounding her on the back until it has subsides.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What”, the assassin brings out, “I’m not… how… I don’t… what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jeez, calm down, I haven’t said anything to her”, Harley tells her, amused at her reaction, “and I’m not gonna, cause you’d kick my ass if I did and we both know you could. But I wanna know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not”, Helena claims, even though she can feel her cheeks flame and figures that her very facial colour is betraying her right now, “what makes you say that?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please”, Harley replies, rolling her eyes, taking a sip of her drink before she goes on, “you think I’m blind? Being around you guys for ten minutes is enough to notice how you look at her, and today we’ve hung out even longer than that. I can tell. You even looked while we were fighting the bad guys!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was making sure she doesn’t need help!” Helena claims, but she sounds just a bit too incredulous for it to believable, and from how Harley snorts, she’s picked up on that, as well, and Helena wants to groan and hide her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right”, Harley says, still grinning, “cause she totally is a little damsel in distress who needs you to come to her rescue when you fight random gang members. She could have taken them all down on her own and you know it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena just lets out a vague noise in reply, having no answer to that; Harley rolls her eyes, then reaches out and pokes her in the ribs, grinning again at the offended yelp Helena lets out, followed by a glare which leaves her rather unimpressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No need to be embarrassed, you know”, she then says, peering into the peanut bowl as if there’s a chance it might have magically refilled in the last five minutes, “I know you like the image of tough as nails, badass Huntress you’re working on to get out there, but you’re human, too. It’s okay to have feelings.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This is more insightful and actually helpful than Helena has dared to expect, and she’s at a loss for words; she’s not trying to deny it though, Harley notes, but before she has the chance to say anything else, another song comes on and Dinah comes back to the table, usually, Helena notes, she dances longer than that when she gets going, but perhaps she has seen that Helena is alone at the table with Harley and has decided she needs to come rescue her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey”, she says as she sits down, having to take one of the chairs as Helena and Harley are taking up the bench, to Helena’s dismay, she much rather would have had Dinah next to her instead of Harley, “you’re not annoying her, are you, Harley?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not”, Harley says at once, shaking her head for emphasis, “I’m giving her helpful advice. Aren’t I, Helena?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...yeah”, Helena says, and Dinah looks genuinely surprised, “we were just talking. She was being helpful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh”, Dinah lets out, Harley making an offended face at the surprise in her voice and showing through her features, “okay? Good. I’m gonna get a refill, you want another beer too? Harley? Another… whatever this is?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes please”, Helena says, and Harley nods as well, then tells her she’s drinking an Orgasm, and Dinah snickers while Helena colours, suddenly finding her beer bottle very interesting while Dinah comes to her feet again to get their drinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t answer me, you know”, Harley says the second Dinah is out of earshot, and Helena groans, she really doesn’t want to have this discussion right now - or ever, “so how long has it been?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know”, Helena mumbles, toying with her empty bottle now, just so she can avoid looking at Harley, “a while. I think. It kinda… built up? I don’t know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah”, Harley wisely nods, “snuck up on you, huh? No surprise there, with your trauma, you’re probably not very in touch with your emotions, but that’s okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we not talk about that”, Helena grumbles, she’s very aware of her issues and isn’t really in the mood to discuss them, especially not when Dinah might come back any moment; to her relief, Harley shrugs, then nods, giving her a smile afterwards, one which is somewhat kinda and more caring than her usual slightly insane grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But if you feel you want to”, she says, “or… maybe need to… Hit me up, okay? I am a psychiatrist. And if you don’t trust me to help you out, I can recommend a few good people. People who are actually still psychiatrists. Working all properly, with offices and everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay”, is all Helena says to that, but thankfully, Harley seems to drop the topic, and just in time too as Dinah comes back with the drinks, sitting down on the chair again after having handed them out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw Renee head out while I waited for the barkeep to finish making your drink”, she says conversationally, gesturing at Harley’s cocktail glass, “and she looked quite happy, so I’m guessing she’s gonna get laid tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good for her”, Harley solemnly says, “and for me, cause that means now all the peanuts are mine. Ha! If they ever get refilled, that is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The guy doing that is probably scared to come to this table”, Dinah says with a small chuckle, making Harley grin while Helena looks a bit confused, prompting her to elaborate, “come on Huntress, you must be aware you look intimidating even when you’re relaxing at a bar. And I really appreciate that, I get hit on much less by annoying guys when you’re around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, um”, Helena lets out while Harley snickers into her drink, “you’re welcome…?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinah smiles, and winks at her, and Helena can feel her cheeks heat up, thankful for the dim light in the bar, hoping it’s dim enough so Dinah can’t see it; Harley does, she can tell from how the way she’s smirking at her, and Helena fights the urge to groan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She really has to get this under control, she tells herself, before not only Harley notices, but Dinah notices, too, and everything will be ruined.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Poor Helena. Harley will be the death of her. xD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Working out always has been a good outlet for emotions Helena doesn’t want to deal with any other way, and so, she’s fairly certain that it will help with whatever this mess she feels for Dinah, too, it helps with her rage after all (most of the time) and so it should help with this, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It doesn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She starts with push-ups, doing a hundred with ease, then moves on to pull-ups, doing another hundred of those; and after that, she lifts weights, and as she sits there and works on her muscles, her mind keeps drifting off to Dinah, again and again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Dammit, get a hold of yourself</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she scolds herself, exchanging the weight for a heavier one with the hope this will finally work, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she’s your teammate. Your friend. You start drooling over her, you’ll only ruin the team.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey”, Dinah’s voice distracts her, and she nearly drops the weight, it’s as if her thoughts have summoned the singer, Dinah gaping at how she manages to keep the weight from dropping in the last second, “whoa, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Honestly, I wasn’t sure it’s possible to startle you, you always seem so aware of everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I, uh, I was thinking”, Helena says, hoping this will be enough of an answer, but apparently it isn’t, as Dinah raises an eyebrow, Helena feeling quite scrutinized by the look she gives her afterwards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That must have been some intense thinking”, she says, dropping her duffle bag and pulling out some comfortable clothes for training, “normally, you already know I’m in here when I open the front door. You okay? Want to talk about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my God, no.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m good”, Helena says, a bit too quickly perhaps, because Dinah still looks worried; her mind races as she tries to find something she can tell her which does not involve the words “I might have feelings for you and that scares me”, and after another moment, something comes to her, something which will be believable, and so, she uses it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was thinking about something Harley said”, she says, but apparently, it has been the wrong thing, cause Dinah looks even more concerned now, “um, yesterday. At the bar.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She didn’t make you uncomfortable, did she”, Dinah wants to know, frowning now, and Helena fights the urge to groan, feeling bad now as she now has dragged Harley into this, as well, when the woman has only meant well, “I’ll hit her if she did. I know you don’t like it when she brings up certain… things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No no”, Helena quickly says, she really doesn’t want Dinah to punch Harley, or maybe even kick her, “she tried to be helpful, really. She, um… she said she could recommend someone if I’d ever… you know. Consider therapy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh”, Dinah lets out, a bit surprised by this, and realizing at once that she’ll have to choose her next words carefully, as this is a sore spot for the assassin, “and? What did you tell her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told her I’d think about”, Helena truthfully says, and to her relief, that makes Dinah smile a bit again, “and, um, that is what I was doing. When you walked in. Thinking about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want to hear what I think about it?” Dinah offers, figuring it’s smart to make sure Helena actually wants to know her opinion before saying it, relieved when Helena nods at once - they have been growing closer, the three of them and even Harley a bit, but there are still things Helena doesn’t want to talk about, and her baggage is one of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it might be worth a try”, she says, once again making sure to choose her words carefully, this is an important step and she doesn’t want to mess this up, “you’re my friend, and you’re very dear to me the way you are, but… it might be good for you. Get some of that weight off your shoulders.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe”, Helena sighs, faltering as she tries to find the right words to say what the thought of therapy makes her feel, without appearing like a stammering fool to the singer, “but… well… my assassin dads, they taught me that… I need to able to be on my own. No matter what. That I need to be strong, and tough, and not rely on anyone to get the job done but myself. Doing… this… it would be… weak.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Helena”, Dinah says in response, shaking her head, then feeling daring and reaching out to grasp the other woman’s hand, glad when the touch appears to be welcome, “don’t take this the wrong way, but… It’s not weak to ask for help. And certainly not for help to deal with what you have been through. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who could get through this all on their own, and I know you love and respect your assassin dads, but if they think you should, then they’re idiots."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena’s mouth actually falls open at that, and Dinah would have laughed if their conversation hadn’t been so serious; she’s gone into a bit of a rant, she belatedly realizes, but thankfully, Helena doesn’t seem offended, only looking stunned, blinking as she tries to process what Dinah just has said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’s silent for so long that Dinah starts to worry she’s offended after all, maybe even angry, that her rage will make an appearance now… and that is when Helena laughs, an actual genuine laugh, something Dinah hasn’t heard from her anymore since the time Harley has stolen her car after the amusement park fight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow”, the assassin finally manages, still snickering, Dinah finding herself smiling as well, “okay, that was… blunt. But maybe right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinah gives her another smile, glad that her reaction hasn’t been a negative one after all; and then, she gives in to a sudden impulse, and says “come here”, and before Helena knows what is happening, Dinah is hugging her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, she feels like flailing helplessly, she can’t remember the last time anyone has hugged her - and wow, isn’t that sad, she realizes, perhaps, Dinah has been right with what she has said moments ago - and she has no idea what to do with her own arms, feeling awkward all at once; then, she scolds herself, she’s taken down a man who never went anywhere without his bodyguards, so surely, she can handle a simple hug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It still takes her another second to actually bring her arms up, and her hands end up on Dinah’s back; it feels good, she realizes, Dinah is so close to her now that she can feel her breath on her neck and she can smell her hair, it’s a nice smell which makes her feel a bit lightheaded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh damn</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she belatedly realizes as Dinah squeezes her a bit, and that feels good, too, better than it should perhaps, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what are you doing? You are trying to get this under control. Snuggling her in the training room is not getting this under control!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, Dinah pulls back before Helena has to figure out how to do so without appearing rude; the singer gives her another smile, then comes to her feet, gesturing vaguely at the training mats stacked in the corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want to spar a bit?” she asks, and while that will put them close to each other again, Helena figures it’s training, too, so it  might help distract her, and she nods, Dinah giving her a bright smile as she grabs her comfortable workout clothes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great”, she says, “I’ll change and then we can get started.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She starts to get moving towards the adjoining small room, which they usually use to change; she only manages a few steps though, then Helena clears her throat and says “Dinah?”, finding it hard to meet her eye when Dinah turns to face her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...thank you”, Helena mumbles, finding her socks very interesting now; from the corner of her eye, she sees Dinah smile though, a soft and gentle smile, and it warms up her heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing to thank me for”, Dinah tells her, and now Helena can look at her again, “that’s what friends do, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right”, Helena says, and as Dinah turns away from her again, she fights the urge to sigh, studying her socks again as the word echoes through her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Friends. You’re friends. Remember that. She’s your friend, and no more than that. Friends.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knows she shouldn’t feel this way, but right in this moment, it doesn’t seem as if this can be enough.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aw. Poor Helena. Cheer up Crossbow, perhaps, Dinah feels similar and you just don't know yet. XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Helena knows it’s not good to get distracted during a fight, this has been one of the first lessons she has learned - </span>
  <em>
    <span>when you fight</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she hears Sal’s voice in her head, reprimanding her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is what you focus on. You focus on the fight and on nothing else, until you’re the last one standing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knows it’s not good, and she knows Sal would smack her on the back of the head if he could see her now, and tell her to focus, but she can’t help herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Watching Dinah fight is a sight to behold, she might not have Helena’s training, but she’s amazing at what she does anyway, landing powerful kicks which send men twice her size to the ground groaning and gasping for air, and even though Helena knows she has to focus, she finds herself looking at the singer again and again, her gaze moving to her against her will.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And even though Sal would have smacked her for not keeping her focus on the fight, it’s a good thing she keeps glancing at Dinah - because thanks to that, she sees how one of the men the singer has taken down struggles to his feet again behind her, and pulls a knife, clearly with the attention to stab her in the back, and she has no idea the guy is back on his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena reacts purely on instinct, her rage flaring at seeing Dinah in danger; she takes the guy she’s fighting out with a hard jab to his throat, and he falls, gasping for air, but Helena already doesn’t care about him anymore, shooting forward towards the guy with the knife, glad that he’s not quite steady on his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tackles him and they both go down, Dinah spinning around as she hears the characteristic grunts Helena lets out during fighting much closer to herself now; she does so just in time to see the assassin take one of the men she’d thought she’d already taken care of down again, and a knife falls from his hand, and her eyes go wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Movement behind Helena distracts her, and she looks up just in time to see a man rush at the assassin, brandishing a large piece of wood; she realizes she’s too far to stop him, and so she cries out for Helena to look out, the assassin looking up just in time to take the wood full to the face as the man swings it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hits her so hard that the wood actually breaks, and Helena looks oddly dazed as she ends up flat on her next to the downed knife guy, blood pouring from her nose; and now Dinah has a vague idea of how Helena has to feel when the rage takes over, she sees red and lets out an angry shout as she rushes the guy, and lands a perfectly executed jump kick, hitting him so hard that he actually rolls a few feet before he lies still.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This leaves two guys on their feet, and Renee takes down one of them while Dinah takes care of the other; and the second the guy has hit the ground, Dinah is hurrying back to where Helena is struggling to sit up, the flow of blood from her nose has lessened again, but she still looks dazed, and the left side of her face is bruising already, showing how hard the guy has actually hit her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Helena, don’t try to get up”, Dinah tries to stop her as she hurries to her side, “you probably have a concussion, he got you really hard, fuck…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena seems to be determined to ignore her, and eager to get into an upright position; and so, Dinah stops her by placing both hands on her shoulders, glad when this works and Helena slumps back down at last.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, she says, not liking the still glazed over look of the assassin’s eyes, “stay down for now, okay? Renee, call Harley, tell her to meet us at Helena’s home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On it”, Renee says, pulling out her phone; Dinah takes a moment to take a look at the downed men, making sure none of them will come back to his feet and go after them again, but it seems that none of them is in a state to fight back, some of them are groaning quietly, but not moving much, either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You only see one of me, right”, Dinah wants to know, more to pass the time until Renee is done and can help her with getting Helena to the car; without thinking, Helena nods, something she quickly regrets though as it makes the world around her spin, and she groans, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to make it stop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No no no”, Dinah says at once, misreading her intentions when she sees her close her eyes, “keep your eyes open, come on, look at me. No passing out now, you hear? Renee and I can’t carry your ass to the car, you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena forces her eyes open again, and her gaze meets Dinah’s; the singer looks back at her with genuine concern, and this makes Helena’s heart twist oddly, she can’t remember the last time anyone has looked at her with such worry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, Dinah says, and a moment later, Helena feels her fingers curl around hers as she takes gentle hold of her hand, the touch helping her to stay awake, giving her something to focus on, “I promise you can get some rest once you’re safely at home, alright? But until then, I need you to stay awake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay”, Helena mumbles, she knows Dinah is right, her adoptive dads have told her that it’s dangerous to go sleep or pass out right after a blow to the head, and the guy really has hit her quite hard; Dinah squeezes her hand in response, then looks up as Renee walks back over to them, tucking her phone back into her pocket as she approaches them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Harley’s on her way, she’ll meet you guys at Helena’s home”, she says, and Dinah’s briefly surprised, somewhat having expected Renee to come along, the former cop taking note of this and explaining before Dinah can ask, “I have to take care of these guys, you look after Helena, she shouldn’t be alone after such a hit to the head. And also, you’re better at this caretaking shit than I am.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am?” Dinah wants to know, raising her brows; Renee shrugs, then nods before she moves to Helena’s other side, declaring they have to get her to Dinah’s car so Dinah can actually get her anywhere.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Together, they manage to get Helena up on her feet and to hold her upright, even though she sways a bit; she’s slightly unsteady on her feet as she walks, thankful that the other two women are holding her up left and right, even though her skin tingles oddly where Dinah is touching her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she dazedly reminds herself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dinah’s your friend. Not more than that. Keep that in mind.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mind still works surprisingly clear about that, she ponders as they walk, despite the hit she’s taken; this makes her feel relieved, and gives her hope that perhaps, the concussion isn’t so bad, her adoptive dads always have said she’s thickheaded, and apparently, she literally is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That thought strikes her as funny, and she chuckles to herself; she doesn’t  notice the weird looks Renee and Dinah both give her, but none of them say anything, both of them figuring that some weird behaviour might be expected after taking such a hard hit to the head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here”, Dinah says as they reach her car, pulling the passenger door open for her, “and in you go. You’ll ride shotgun, I won’t let you pass out on the backseat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never got why it’s called riding shotgun”, Helena thoughtfully ponders out loud, and Dinah smiles a bit at her random musings, her smile fading though at what the assassin says next, “you held the car door open for me like Sal now you know, when I was still with my family. He held the door open for me and he high fived me and then they all got shot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus”, Renee mumbles behind her, they’ve both had a vague idea about what has happened at the Bertinelli massacre, Renee more so than Dinah thanks to her job, but this is a new detail none of them has been aware, and Dinah’s stomach clenches, Helena perfectly unaware of this as she gets into the seat and leans her head against the headrest, making the singer wonder if she actually is aware of what she’s just said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get her home”, Renee says in a rough voice, showing that she’s just as affected by what Helena has said, “make sure she’ll be fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinah nods and lets Renee she’ll keep her updated on Helena’s state, then gets into the car herself; Helena is looking out the window, only glancing briefly at Dinah when she starts the engine, but not saying anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinah’s not sure if she should be worried or relieved about her silence.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aw, Helena. The poor baby (I say, as I am being mean to her)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Harley is waiting at the front door of Helena’s apartment building when Dinah pulls up to it, toying with her phone; she looks up as the singer parks the car, and Dinah is relieved when she moves to help her with Helena, not quite sure the assassin will be able to remain on her feet all on her own yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thanks to Harley and her help, they get her to the elevator with no trouble though; she looks a bit less dazed by now, but Dinah can tell she’s still not fully there, and she wonders if Helena will reveal any other things, babble on unaware as she has when she’s gotten into the car.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So I hear you got bonked on the head”, Harley says conversationally, distracting Dinah from her thoughts, “wow, that’s a nasty bruise, guy must have really gotten you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He had a knife”, Helena mumbles in reply, swaying a bit again as the elevator stops and the doors open, “couldn’t let him… had to stop him. I don’t take the elevator. I take the stairs. I have to stay fit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You took the elevator today, but that’s okay”, Harley says, Dinah nodding along, impressed by how well Harley is handling this, but then, she has been a psychiatrist, and probably knows better what to say than Dinah does, no matter how often Renee claims the singer is better at taking care of people, “you need to take it easy for a while, Crossbow, you got hit on the head pretty hard.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not the Crossbow Killer”, Helena snaps in reply, “that’s not my name. Huntress. That’s my name.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, Huntress”, Harley says at once, and Helena deflates visibly, “you got the keys to your apartment?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Front pocket”, Helena mutters, “um… right one. I think. The hand with which I normally fire my crossbow. But I’m not the Crossbow Killer!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinah is at her right, so she has to reach into Helena’s pocket to get the keys out; thankfully, unlike Dinah herself, Helena doesn’t wear tight pants, and Dinah can fulfil that task fairly easily, unlocking the door so Harley and she can get Helena inside, Harley shaking her head when Helena seems to aim for the couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope”, she then says, “you go straight to bed. But don’t lie down yet. Sit down at first. Where’s your bedroom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To the left”, Helena mumbles, and they guide her there, getting her to sit down on the bed; it’s surprisingly large, and looks somewhat luxurious, and suddenly Dinah is acutely aware that she is in Helena’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>bedroom</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she’s never been in here before, to the apartment for a visit, but not to her actual bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bed seems one of the few expensive things Helena owns, and it surprises Dinah a bit, but then, Helena does have quite a bit of money; obediently, the assassin sits down on it when Harley tells her to, and Dinah sits down next to her, placing one hand on her back, with the excuse that this will keep her from lying down, and she’s pleasantly impressed at how comfy the bed actually is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, lookie here”, Harley says, using the flashlight of her phone to look at Helena’s eyes; the taller woman grumbles and blinks when Harley does so, but doesn’t try to close her eyes or to look away, Harley nodding in satisfaction, apparently happy with what she sees as she switches the light off again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pupils are dilating the way they should”, she tells Dinah, the singer feeling a bit relieved at this, “try to keep her awake for a bit longer though. Once she does fall asleep, wake her up after two hours, have her talk to you a bit, if she sounds slurred or has other trouble talking, call me again. No painkillers for now, if she complains about a headache, get her an icepack or a cold, wet cloth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay”, Dinah says, thankful that Harley has all this knowledge, she knows a thing or two about first aid, but not quite as much about concussions, “thank you. Um… I need to talk to you for a second. Helena, wait here okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay”, Helena says obediently, idly toying with a loose thread on her pants; Dinah gives her back a little pat, then gets to her feet and leaves the room with Harley, making sure to keep her voice low so the assassin won’t hear in the adjoining room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She, um, was… saying a few… rather personal things”, she says, Harley looking interested at once, “about when she was little? You know, the shooting? Is this… normal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, no worries”, Harley says at once, to Dinah’s relief, even though that relief fades again at what Harley says next, “her brain did get bounced around in her noggin a bit, might have gotten a little scrambled. Could be that she’ll say more about what she usually keeps to herself, and she might remember tomorrow or have forgotten it, if she doesn’t remember, don’t bring it up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay”, Dinah says, now wondering if Helena will blurt out anything else; part of her feels bad for her interest, she knows Helena doesn’t like talking about these things, and she respects that, she’d never ask her or pressure her about it, and she wonders if perhaps, she should try to shut Helena up, should it seem as if she’d start rambling again, but another part is curious about the assassin and her past and feelings, and wants to know what the usually so stoic woman keeps hidden from all of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe she won’t even say anything</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she tells herself as she walks Harley to the door, the former psychiatrist giving her a few more tips on how to take care of someone with a concussion, Dinah raising her eyebrows when she claims that giving shoulder- and backrubs is helpful as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What”, Harley says, all innocence, “just for relaxing the patient. It’s important to get proper rest when concussed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh huh, sure”, Dinah dryly says, Harley grinning at her before she tells her to call, should anything weird happen; Dinah reassures her she will, taking in a few deep breaths once she’s closed the door and is now alone in the apartment with Helena.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Pull yourself together</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she then scolds herself, taking in another slow, controlled breath, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is </span>
  </em>
  <span>Helena. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You know her. You like her. Okay, maybe you like her a bit too much, but she has no idea about that, so just act as always.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Telling herself that she can do this, she goes back to the bedroom, finding Helena there in the exact same position they’ve left her in; the assassin looks up at her as she enters, and the fact that her eyes are still somewhat glassy worries Dinah, but Harley has reassured her it’s okay, and she figures that she knows what she is talking about, even though it has been a while since she has done any actual doctor work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Do they learn how to treat such things when studying to be a psychiatrist? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Dinah randomly wonders, then shrugs it off and asks Helena how she’s feeling; the taller woman shrugs in response, then yawns, and lets her know she’s tired, Dinah remembering at once what Harley has said about keeping her awake for a bit longer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know”, she thus says soothingly, “but you can’t go to sleep yet, Harley says you have to stay awake a bit longer. Can you do that for me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would do anything for you”; Helena says, so serious that Dinah can only blink, her mouth almost falling open when the assassin continues, “because I’m in love with you. Harley has noticed but she can’t say anything to you, you’re not supposed to know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay”, Dinah says, choosing her words carefully, and now not sure what she should wish for, for Helena to forget this or for her to remember in the next day, “good thing I don’t know then, hm?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes”, Helena says, still so serious, then yawns again; Dinah decides she needs to distract her so she won’t fall asleep, but she’s not quite sure how to do that, figuring that watching TV isn’t a good idea for someone who has a concussion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, she spots the book on Helena’s nightstand, and the bookmark in it, a signal that she has been reading this; and so, she quickly suggests that she’ll read to her a bit, making the assassin smile at once as she nods her agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And so, Dinah gets comfortable and starts reading to her, Helena listening with rapt attention; and the taller woman has no idea of the thoughts running wild through the singer’s mind, the almost casual admittance that Helena is in love with her replaying over and over, leaving her powerless to stop it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1) Tsk tsk Helena, dropping such a bomb on poor Dinah.<br/>2) I looked up how to treat concussions while writing this and the shoulder- and backrub thing was actually in there. Not sure still if it's accurate, but I guess it can't hurt? XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A while later, Helena has drifted off into sleep, and Dinah has let her, setting an alarm in her phone for two hours later so she won’t forget to wake Helena up and check on her; and once she’s sure the assassin is fast asleep, she goes to the living room and sits down on the couch there, quickly typing a text to Harley, still unable to stop thinking about what Helena has said.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Remember when you said Helena might reveal more? </span>
  </em>
  <span>she types, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she did. She said she’s in love with me, that you’ve noticed, and that I can’t know.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course I’ve noticed</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Harley answers within the next minute, Dinah raising an eyebrow at both the speed of the reply and at the content, </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t tell me you didn’t.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I did not!</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Dinah types, frowning, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and it seems like she doesn’t want me to, because she said I can’t know.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bruce has more emotional maturity than Helena,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Harley is quite blunt in hre reply, Dinah frowning again, </span>
  <em>
    <span>but can’t blame her for that. She’s not very in touch with her feelings. You want anything to come from this, it’ll have to come from you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid psychiatrist knowledge”, Dinah grumbles, just answering with a short “ok thanks”, not sure what else she can say; sighing, she puts the phone onto the table in front of the couch and then slumps back into it, staring up at the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could have told herself that Helena hasn’t meant what she has said, that her brain got scrambled when she’s taken that hit and that she has been saying random nonsense; she knows this isn’t true though, she knows Helena has meant every word, and if Harley has noticed, it has shown before the assassin’s confession.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This realization makes her think of something else, and she frowns again, grabbing her phone once more; her next text goes out to Renee, but she’s less blunt than she’s been with Harley, even though she’s dying to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she starts politely, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you got a minute?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sure</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Renee answers quickly as well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what is it? Helena okay?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, asleep,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dinah lets her know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>but that guy really hit her hard, remember that moment at the car? She had another one like that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh really,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Renee’s reply comes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what did she say this time? More horrible tidbits of her childhood? Thank God I’m not there I’d have nightmares.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dinah types, needing a moment before she can go on, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she said she’s in love with me and that I can’t know.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, wow, that guy really hit her hard,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Renee’s answer takes a bit longer this time, and Dinah imagines her just sitting there and staring at her phone, stunned, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so what are you gonna do about it?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t know,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dinah sighs as she types, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she said I can’t know. Harley says it’s because she’s not in touch with her emotions and she might not even remember tomorrow.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait for tomorrow then</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Renee suggests, and Dinah figures this is a good idea, </span>
  <em>
    <span>see if she remembers and then make a plan.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, that sounds good, thanks, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Dinah types, then remembers the initial reason why she has texted the former cop, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and also, Helena said that Harley has noticed. Have you noticed too?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, I have noticed the way she looks at you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Renee lets her know, and Dinah grumbles, wondering if everyone but her has picked up on this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>was hard to miss actually. Wait, you didn’t?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dinah has to admit this again, grumbling at herself at how oblivious she’s been, </span>
  <em>
    <span>seems everyone noticed but me. I bet Cass noticed, too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And Bruce ;-),</span>
  </em>
  <span> Renee writes, and Dinah grumbles again; she sends back a middle finger emoji, then adds </span>
  <em>
    <span>thanks for listening, good night</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so the conversation won’t end with that.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Night and keep an eye on Huntress</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Renee texts back; Dinah sends back a thumbs up, then puts the phone back onto the table and goes back to staring at the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that Helena has confessed, she finds herself remembering many little moments, moments she has caught the assassin look at her, moments when Helena has gone out of her way during a fight to help her; back then, she’s thought that Helena thinks of her skill as better than hers - which would have been true - and it never has occurred to her that the taller woman was actually looking out for her because she’s in love with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s how she got hurt tonight, too</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she then realizes, feeling bad now at having misread Helena so completely, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she made sure I’ll be fine and that is how that guy got the chance to hurt her. Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She holds back a groan, not wanting to wake Helena up - not yet - and buries her face in her hands; then, she decides she needs some distraction and grabs her phone again, figuring she might as well check the news and whatever else catches her interest until it’s time to wake Helena up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The distracting doesn’t work as well as she would have hoped though, as her mind drifts to Helena again and again; now that she knows, she realizes more and more things, how Helena always seems to need a few moments longer than usual when she starts her bike when Dinah is sitting on it behind her, how Helena always seems so much more relaxed when she’s sitting next to her at one bar or another, and how much more open Helena seems to be whenever it’s just the two of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, you’re so stupid”, she scolds herself, she can’t believe she has been quietly pining for Helena and at the same time has missed all those little hints, or has misread them as Helena just being her friend, “how can you be so stupid? God.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shakes her head to herself, then sighs, she can’t understand how she could have been so blind; on the other hand though, she then tells herself, she now knows, and no matter if Helena will remember in the next day or not, Dinah will still know.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You want anything to come from this, it’ll have to come from you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Dinah remembers what Harley has told her, and in this moment, she decides she will make sure that something come from this, once Helena feels better, she’s done pining and she’ll make her interest crystal clear the next chance she gets.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Poor Dinah. Everyone knows but her. xD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>By the time Helena wakes in the next morning, she feels better; she doesn’t remember much from after taking the hit, there’s only brief flashes, Dinah waking her up in the middle of the night and asking her to say something, and she colours as she remembers her reaction, she has been quite grumpy at the singer, now knowing that Dinah has meant well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She immediately decides to apologize as she slowly gets up, making sure to not move too fast in case she’ll get dizzy again or maybe even nauseous; for a moment, Helena’s not even sure Dinah is actually still here, then she hears noise from the kitchen and figures an intruder wouldn’t bother puttering around there, still moving slowly as she leaves the bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s indeed Dinah in the kitchen, and not some random burglar, the coffee machine is already doing its thing and the singer is busy making something which smells delicious; Helena has been taught that a healthy diet is important, and so her fridge is well-stocked, something Dinah apparently is making good use of, smiling at her as she moves closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, good morning”, she says, Helena managing a weak smile of her own, “how are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I guess”, Helena tells her, sitting down when Dinah nods at the kitchen table, “still a little bit shaky. But less of a headache than I expected.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good”, Dinah says with another smile, “breakfast is almost done, I got brave and decided to try making an omelette. Forgive me in case it’s not very good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It smells good, at least”, Helena reassures her, and it does, the smell making her mouth water; she figures that having an appetite is a good sign, and so, she nods when Dinah asks her if she wants some coffee too, moving to get up from her seat, only to sink back down when Dinah gives her another strict look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might feel better, but you shouldn’t move around too much”, the singer then says, already finding a mug for her, Helena momentarily surprised at how well Dinah knows her way around her kitchen already, “just let me fix it for you. Two sugar and just a tiny bit of milk, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right”, Helena has to agree, surprised again at how well Dinah knows how she takes her coffee; but then, she figures, the singer has seen her do so at their headquarters many times by now, so she tells herself it’s not that surprising, Dinah is perceptive, so of course she would have picked up on that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So”, Dinah speaks up as she carefully fills the mug with coffee, then spoons sugar into it, “you got any holes in your memory? Harley said that might happen. That guy hit you pretty hard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah”, Helena has to admit, and Dinah is glad she’s currently with her back to the assassin as she can’t hold back a frown at what the taller woman says next, “I don’t remember much after that guy hit me, actually. Just… bits and pieces? Like when you woke me up during the night to make sure I’m okay and I grumped at you. Um… sorry about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay”, Dinah reassures her, finishing with preparing her coffee and turning to face her again, the frown gone by now as she has regained her composure; it bothers her that Helena doesn’t remember much more than their brief interaction during the night, but on the other hand, she tells herself, she herself still knows, and she’s determined to make use of what she has learned once Helena is better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say anything… weird, did I”, Helena wants to know, looking a bit concerned now; Dinah shakes her head as she puts the mug down in front of her, then moves back to the stove to make sure the omelette isn’t burning, keeping her gaze on the food as she replies, glancing at Helena though, worried how she might react.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did say… something”, she says, Helena frowning a bit, “when we got you to the car, Renee and I. I opened the door for you and you said… you said it was like your bodyguard, that he held the door open for you and high fived you and then, well… you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh”, Helena lets out, suddenly finding the coffee in her mug very interesting, “wow, that… that dude really must have landed a good hit. I don’t think I’ve told that to anyone since Massimo asked me what happened that day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know Renee and I won’t blab it around to the world”, Dinah says, looking at her again, glad when Helena nods at once, “and… you know we’ll listen if you ever want to talk. About that day, or about anything else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know”, Helena says, toying with the mug now, but to her credit not looking away when Dinah’s eyes meet hers, “and… I appreciate it, I really do. It’s just… not easy, you know. Well. Except for when someone scrambled my brains, apparently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it makes you feel better, you didn’t reveal anything else”, Dinah lies, deciding to keep the little tidbit about Helena being in love with her to herself for now, figuring this can wait until Helena feels better, and until she can actually make a move, “you just told Harley and me that you don’t take the elevator, after we had taken it already, and snapped at her that you’re not the Crossbow Killer when she called you Crossbow. You really walk up the stairs every time? You live on the fourth floor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No”, Helena tells her as she deems the omelette to be done and carefully portions it out onto two plates, “I jog. Good way to get a little exercise in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jog”, Dinah repeats, shaking her head to herself, “no wonder you’re so jacked. Honestly, I dare say I’m not out of shape, either, but if I jogged up four flights of stairs, I’d be winded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena just shrugs, then thanks her when Dinah puts the plate down in front of her; she gets them some cutlery from the drawer, then sits facing the assassin, and for a while, they sit and eat in silence, but it’s not an uncomfortable silence, Helena has never minded it when it’s quiet around her and Dinah seems fine with it, as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is actually edible”, Dinah is the one who does break the silence after eating half of her share, “whew, lucky me, I was worried I might accidentally poison you, as if the concussion isn’t bad enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helena smiles a bit at that, and Dinah is glad, she’s always happy when she manages to make the stoic woman smile, has been even before she has learned that Helena is in love with her; she smirks back at her, then takes a sip of her coffee, the appreciative sigh she lets out afterwards not unnoticed by the assassin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is really good coffee”, she says, taking another sip, “you have to tell me where you buy this stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I import it from Sicily”, Helena tells her, and Dinah groans, because of course she does, “that’s one of the few expensive things I spend money on. Because if I had to drink what people here call coffee, I’d die.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a bit drastic, isn’t it”, Dinah says with a small laugh; completely deadpan, Helena replies with a simple “no”, and Dinah laughs again, Helena smiling as well after a moment before taking another bite of her food, which really is quite delicious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s not happy she has revealed that bit about Sal and the day of the shooting, but she’s glad she hasn’t said anything truly embarrassing.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah Helena, good thing you didn't reveal anything else... x)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You should lie down again, you know”, Dinah says once breakfast has been eaten; Helena does look a bit tired, and feels a bit tired too, but grimaces nonetheless, not liking the idea of lying around and staring at the ceiling, knowing watching TV or reading wouldn’t be a good idea, not yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have an idea”, Dinah adds, earning a curious look from the assassin, “come on, come with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She holds her hand out to Helena, and after another moment, the taller woman takes it and lets Dinah pull her to her feet; the singer lets the way to the bedroom, and tells Helena to sit down on the bed, smiling when the assassin obediently does so - this shows how much closer they have grown, she ponders as she moves to kneel behind her on the bed, when they’d started working together, Helena certainly would have asked why and what she has in mind, and the fact that she doesn’t now shows that she trusts her, a fact which makes Dinah feel all warm and tingly inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Harley told me yesterday”, she says as she slowly places her hands on Helena’s shoulders, so she won’t startle her, “that this is a good idea for people with a concussion, and it’ll help you relax.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gives a short, tender squeeze, testing the waters, asking if this is okay; Helena lets out a vaguely agreeing noise, and Dinah tells her to let her know when she wants her to stop, and once Helena has made the noise again, Dinah starts kneading her shoulders, careful at first, then with a bit more strength when Helena lets out a pleased sounding groan, her thumbs digging into tense muscle, a smile curling her lips when she notices the goosebumps she causes with this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feel good?” she says, moving her hands slightly so she can work on different muscle; Helena groans, then manages a “yes”, and the hoarse sound of her voice tells Dinah that her work has quite the effect on her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, she mumbles, moving a bit farther down; it’s a bit disconcerting how tense Helena is, but then she’s always tense, Dinah’s not sure she’s ever seen her fully relaxed, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s like digging her fingers into rock, but she can feel Helena relaxing at least a bit, and that spurs her on to keep going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re really good at this”, Helena tells her after a few minutes have gone by like, interrupting herself with a low grunt which makes it Dinah’s turn to have goosebumps, “I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happy to hear”, Dinah says, moving her hands further down the assassin’s back, and earning another groan when she finds an especially tense knot and starts working on it, “but man, you’re really tense. Maybe you should go to someone who does this professionally some time, you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No way”, Helena says at once, sounding so mortified at the thought that it makes Dinah pause, “letting a complete stranger do this? No way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should I feel honoured, then?” Dinah says, only half joking, glad once again that Helena can’t see her face as she’s fairly certain she’s blushing; and her face only heats up more at the assassin’s response, her voice solemn, but a bit nervous, as well, making Dinah wonder if she is blushing too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe not honoured”, Helena tells her, keeping her gaze focused on the wall opposite of herself, “but… I do trust you, you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I trust you, too”, Dinah lets her know, momentarily feeling bad for keeping it from her that she has revealed quite a bit more the previous night than a tidbit of her childhood; on the other hand, she knows Helena would be highly uncomfortable if she told her now, and so, she keeps it to herself, even though it’s suddenly hard to not say anything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And a moment later, it gets even harder as Helena surprises her by reaching up and over her shoulder so she can grasp her hand; she gives it a brief, but tender squeeze, then lets her hand drop back into her lap, and Dinah can only sit there stunned for a few moments.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’s never been one to shy away from physical contact, but she knows this is different for Helena, the assassin not used to being touched at all; and even though she by now reacts well when Dinah does, it’s rare that she’s the one to initiate it, and it has been so unexpected too this time, the singer needing a few moments to regain her composure, her skin still tingling where Helena has touched her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Get it together</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she scolds herself, clearing her throat before she focuses on rubbing the assassin’s back again, smiling a bit once more when Helena lets out a content sigh this time, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you know she has feelings for you now, but you can’t jump her bones until she feels better.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There”, she says, deeming Helena sufficiently relaxed, and from how the taller woman is yawning againi, Dinah figures this is not a wrong assumption to make, “now lie down and take a nap?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay”, Helena mumbles, if it had been anyone else, she would have denied that she’s tired again, but this is Dinah, and she does trust her; she wonders if the singer is aware that her admitting this is sort of a big deal, but doesn’t know how to ask, and so, she just lies down, grimacing a bit when the movement briefly makes the room spin around her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, Dinah smiles at her, “I’ll be right next room in case you need anything, okay? Just call out for me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhm”, Helena lets out, to Dinah’s amusement already halfway asleep; she smiles to herself, then leaves the bedroom, making sure to not close the door so she’ll hear Helena in case the assassin does call out to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It doesn’t take long until she can hear Helena snore quietly, and she smiles to herself again; her phone buzzing on the table distracts her, and she quickly snatches it up before the noise can wake Helena again, not surprised when she sees it’s Renee calling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes”, she says, keeping her voice low, “what is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you hiding from someone”, Renee wants to know, sounding amused, “you’re all hushed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No”, Dinah says with a roll of her eyes, even though Renee can’t see it, “Helena’s asleep and I don’t want to wake her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Considerate”, Renee says, “you think she can be alone for a few hours in the evening? I got a lead, nothing big, the two of us can handle it, and I don’t want to let it go to waste.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure”, Dinah agrees at once, agreeing with Renee that a good lead shouldn’t be let go to waste, “I’m sure Helena’s gonna be fine, she’s much better today already. No more rambling and no more glassy eyes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, the former cop replies, and Dinah can hear the slight smile on her face through her voice, “meet me at the former Amertek warehouse near the train station, you know which one I mean? At ten. Deal is supposed to go down there at half past ten.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah I know which one you mean”, Dinah reassures her, “I’ll be there. And yeah, I’ll make sure Helena won’t be, before you tell me to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, Renee says again, “see you later then, take care of tall, dark and grumpy until then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do”, Dinah reassures her, then ends the call; she knows Helena will be grumpy and not like it that they will head out without her, but even Helena will have to admit that it’s not a good idea for her to go to a fight with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She takes a moment to listen for Helena’s snoring, making sure she’s still asleep, then starts scrolling through the news in an attempt to keep herself busy until the assassin wakes up again, hoping she’ll feel even better once she does.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Now I want a backrub, too. XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Just as Dinah has predicted, Helena hasn’t been happy when Dinah has told her she’d go out to take care of some bad guys with Renee; she has had to admit that it wouldn’t be a good idea to go with her, she still gets dizzy if she moves too fast and fighting in such a state might end badly for her, no matter how well trained she is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So, she grudgingly stays at home as Dinah heads out to meet Renee and take care of the bad guys; watching TV might still not be smart, but she figures putting on music should be okay, and does so, lying on her bed and letting her mind wander as she listens to the album she chosen, thinking back to Dinah giving her that backrub and smiling to herself at the memory.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It has felt nice, and has helped her relax, but she wonders if this is something friends do for each other or if perhaps, the feelings she’s been hiding from Dinah aren’t quite as one-sided as she thinks; now, Helena wishes she’d have someone she could ask about this, but the only option she can think of is Harley, as Harley is the only one who knows about her feelings for the singer, and while she knows Harley means well, she’s not quite sure she’ll actually get good advice from her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She should be able to tell you if that is something friends do or not though</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she then realizes, Harley might be strange and sometimes downright insane, but still her teenager years have been more normal than Helena’s, and wow, the assassin realizes with a grimace, doesn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> say something about her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>just ask her. She already knows you’re in love with Dinah anyway, no harm done there.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That thought sounds good to her, and she’s fairly certain her brain has recovered from the hit she’s taken - no more holes in her memory except the ones from the previous evening, after all, and she hasn’t blurted out any thoughts she normally keeps to herself when she’s been talking to Dinah - and so she carefully gets up and gets her phone; and just when she wants to start writing a text to Harley, it vibrates in her hand, startling her so much she nearly drops it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, the phone doesn’t end up on the floor, but when Helena sees it’s a text from Harley, her stomach clenches before she even reads it, she suddenly just </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows</span>
  </em>
  <span> it’s something bad, and this feeling is confirmed a second later when she actually opens the message.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Trouble</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Harley has written, the fact that there’s not a single emoji in the message showing this is truly serious, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Amertek warehouse. Know you’re not 100% but come quick. Train station.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>On my way</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Helena writes at once, then gets up and hurriedly changes into clothes more suitable for fighting, figuring it won’t do to go out in her sleepwear; she feels dizzy again when she bends over to put on her boots, but she grits her teeth and forces herself to ignore it, telling herself that there’s no time for this now, Dinah and Renee are in trouble, Dinah has told her where they are going and it’s the exact warehouse Harley has been talking about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gears up as fast as she can, with her crossbow and bolts and knives, making sure to pocket her phone before she leaves the apartment; the elevator will take too long, so she takes the stairs, still feeling queasy, and she’s not sure if the concussion is causing this or if it’s from her worry for Dinah and Renee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At least, she tells herself, it’s not far to her bike, she always parks close to her building; riding it might not be the best idea with the queasiness and the moments of dizziness, but she doesn’t really see another option, she doesn’t want to take a cab and public transport is even less of a possibility.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I shouldn’t have let them go alone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she berates herself as she drives, not caring about the speed limit, </span>
  <em>
    <span>now they might be hurt or worse, if I had come…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Briefly, Helena wonders how Harley knows about the trouble, then shrugs it off as she speeds past the other vehicles on the road, ignoring it when they honk at her, figuring it’s good that Harley does know and that it doesn’t matter how she knows; she also tells herself she’ll find out soon enough, for now, her focus has to be on getting there and making sure Dinah and Renee are okay, she can worry about everything else later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knows better than to drive right up to the warehouse though, the engine sound might alert whoever is causing the trouble Harley has been talking about, and so, she parks a safe distance away, and apparently, Harley has anticipated that, as she is waiting not far from where Helena parks her bike, jogging over to her, her serious expression only another sign that this is bad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the status”, she asks, in full Huntress mode now, not even bothering with a greeting; Harley gestures at the warehouse, then makes a face, Helena’s features darkening when she responds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“More guys than they thought there would be”, she tells the assassin, “I had other… business… around here and heard the commotion. Peered in, saw them in trouble, texted you. You up to take care of it with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah”, Helena says at once, already loading her crossbow, “could you see if they’re hurt?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No”, Harley sighs, “I only got a glimpse of them, they got them tied up and were in a circle around them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A circle</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Helena darkly things to herself as she nods, once more ignoring the brief dizziness this causes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so Dinah’s cry won’t help much. Do they know she can do it? Well, doesn’t matter, I’m here now.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go”, is all she says, and strides towards the warehouse before Harley can actually say anything; she slows down when she gets close to the actual building, ducking down so nobody will spot her through the windows, dusty as they are, but it seems she’s in luck, the door is open and the guy standing with his back to it is taller than the one facing him in the circle the guys are forming, so he’s not seeing her and neither is the man opposite of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...we should do with them”, one of them is saying, unaware that Helena is aiming her crossbow at the guy next to him as he speaks, “just finish them off here? Maybe we can make some money with them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena fires, and the guy next to the one talking goes down, gurgling around the bolt in his throat; Helena is glad her aim isn’t off, it takes her a bit longer to reload than usual, but a second guy goes down before the others realize what is happening, and by that time, Harley and Helena are rushing them, forcing them to focus on them instead of doing anything to Dinah and Renee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena keeps her focus on the fight, but she does take a glance at Dinah and Renee, just to make sure they’re alive and okay; they’re both conscious, at least, bruised and tied up, and there’s blood on Dinah’s shirt, but both are struggling to break free now that the guys are busy fighting Helena and Harley, so Helena figures this is a good sign.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She ducks a punch, pulls the knife she’s got strapped to her ankle and cuts the guy’s leg, making him yelp as he stumbles back; she goes after him at once, stabs him and stabs him again to make sure he’s down, then turns and throws the knife at another one, taking him down as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From the corner of her eye, she sees the metallic glint of a gun, and spins to face the guy aiming it; she sees his finger tighten on the trigger, and a second before he fires Helena performs a daring dive forward, the bullet whizzing over her head, the world spinning again when she slams into the guy and they both go down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They struggle for a few more moments while Harley cackles somewhere behind her as she takes down a guy as well, then Helena manages to get a grip on the man’s hair, glad he doesn’t have a buzz cut, and slams his head against the ground; he goes limp, and she comes to her feet, having a second to realize that the guys are down, either unconscious or even dead, Harley having done her part in taking them out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She has a second to feel glad about that, then the world blurs in front of her eyes, and before she knows what is happening, she’s on her knees, she hears Dinah call out her name with worry in her voice, then the singer is yelling at Harley to untie them, goddammit, while Helena is struggling now to not throw up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Apparently, Harley goes to do so, because a minute later, Dinah is kneeling down next to her and grasping her shoulder as she says her name; Helena wants to reassure her she’s fine, but as she doesn’t dare to open her mouth for fear she’ll vomit, that would be quite the lie, so she only lets out a vague grunt in response, so Dinah knows she’s heard her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the Hell are you doing here”, Dinah demands to know, not quite sure if she should be upset or relieved, then realizing it doesn’t matter for now, “no, wait, don’t say anything. We have to get you to the car, come on…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My bike”, Helena does bring out, and Dinah bristles even further, Helena missing the glare she shoots her though as she’s still on her knees and staring at the floor, trying to keep her stomach’s contents down, but she can hear the anger in Dinah’s voice when she responds, and it makes her wince.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You rode your </span>
  <em>
    <span>bike</span>
  </em>
  <span> here?” Dinah demands to know, incredulous, “Helena! You have a concussion!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey now”, Harley chooses this moment to butt in, moving to the assassin’s other side so she can help Dinah get her to her feet, “she came here cause I saw you guys were in trouble and called her. You’re welcome, by the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We do appreciate the rescue”, Renee says, while Dinah huffs, “but Dinah’s right, that was dangerous. Dinah, you drive her home, I’ll take care of her bike.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you crash it I’ll kill you”, Helena mumbles, and Renee raises an eyebrow, then comments on right now, all she has to do to win that fight is to poke Helena in the head; Dinah shoots her a withering glare at that, but doesn’t say anything, helping Helena to her feet instead together with Harley, keeping her arm around the taller woman’s waist as they make their way to the car together, Dinah now eager to get Helena home and make sure she’s okay.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Heroic Helena is heroic even when she shouldn't be. XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“And straight into bed you go”, Dinah commands the moment they are back at Helena’s home, “and no talking back. That was really dangerous Helena, what if you had gotten hurt?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You guys were tied up”, Helena points out in response, and Dinah has to admit that this is a good point, “and there were too many of them for Harley alone. What else was I supposed to do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...good point”, Dinah conceded, still looking strict though, “but still. Don’t tell me you’re fine, cause I can tell you’re not. Remove all those knives and get into bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena doesn’t even try to argue back, she is feeling quite drained now; the nausea has subsided, thankfully, but her head hurts again, and she knows how lucky it is that none of the guys has managed to hit her in the face, she’s not quite sure what that would have done to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It takes her a while to remove all the weapons from her person, and even though Dinah keeps trying look strict, her lips are twitching by the time Helena finally gets done; she shakes her head, but makes no comment, shooing the assassin into the bedroom instead, giving her another strict look when Helena starts to bend down to take off her boots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare”, she then says, pointing at the bed, “you’ll fall on your face or throw up or both. Sit down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena does so, and Dinah quickly unlaced her boots and pulls them off, then order her to lie down now; and once again, Helena doesn’t bother to protest, Dinah’s voice and the look on her face allow no talking back, and she feels too drained at this point to try anyway, letting out a hearty yawn as she lies down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, Dinah says, sounding much more gentle now, “now get some sleep. I appreciate the rescue, I really do, but I’m even more glad you didn’t get hurt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M’fine”, Helena mumbles, halfway asleep already; Dinah rolls her eyes and just sighs, then tells her once again she’ll be right next room, earning an agreeing grunt in response which makes her smile as she makes her way to the living room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’s fairly certain Renee and she would have found a way out of their sticky situation, and annoyed at herself at having ended up in it in the first place; there had been way more guys than they had expected though, and despite their best efforts, they’d ended up overpowered, Dinah grimacing to herself as she realizes how badly this could have ended, had Harley not been around to notice their plight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This, in turn, makes her wonder what Harley has been doing in that area in the first place, but then she decides it probably has been something shady and she shrugs it off, deciding she doesn’t want to know; it has been fortunate after all, so in the end, it doesn’t really matter why Harley was there in the first place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, Dinah finds herself yawning as well, and stretches out on the couch, glad that it’s comfortable enough to let her sleep well; and a short while later, she’s fast asleep, undisturbed by Helena’s snoring from the bedroom as the excitement of the day takes its toll on her.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>In the next morning, Dinah is the first to wake up, as the snoring still coming from the bedroom shows; she stretches and yawns, then makes her way to the kitchen and prepares the coffee machine, making a mental note to ask Helena if she can order her a pack or two of the coffee she uses the next time she has some sent to her, it really is quite a bit better than the coffee she is used to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the smell seems to be enough to wake Helena up, she realizes as the snoring stops shortly after the coffee has started to run through; and a minute later, Helena comes out of the bedroom, looking adorably disheveled, her hair only sticking up more when she runs one hand through it in an attempt to tame it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning”, Dinah smiles at her, glad at how much better Helena looks; despite the recklessness of the previous evening, she seems to have recovered quite a bit during the night, much steadier on her feet now and not quite as pale anymore as she has been when they’d gotten home the previous night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look like you’re feeling better”, Dinah thus says, earning a nod from the taller woman before Helena somewhat proudly informs her she can actually nod now without getting dizzy; then, she takes a closer look at Dinah and frowns, the bruising from the previous night’s fight showing quite clearly by now, and now it’s her turn to be concerned as she asks Dinah if she’s okay, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine”, Dinah tells her at once, “just bruising. Would have been worse if you hadn’t shown up, so thanks again for that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We really should thank Harley”, Helena says with a shrug as she sits down at the kitchen table, not wanting to overdo it despite feeling better again, “if she hadn’t happened to be there, I never would have known you guys are in trouble.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that was fortunate”, Dinah agrees, taking note of how Helena’s face darkens for a moment, “even though I do wonder what she was doing there. Something shady, probably.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well yeah, it’s Harley”, Helena says, and there’s a sort of nervous energy radiating from her now, Dinah is fairly certain if she’d had something to toy around with, she would have done so, and a moment later, this is confirmed as the words practically burst out of her, giving Dinah the feeling she wouldn’t have been able to hold it back if she had wanted to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If she hadn’t been there I never would have known you’re in trouble and I would have lost you”, she says, all in one breath, Dinah’s heart clenching at how desolate she looks from one moment to the next, “and I… I don’t think I could have… handled that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey”, Dinah says, moving to her side and placing a hopefully calming hand on her shoulder, “you’re not losing any of us. Alright? I’m here, I’m fine, and you know it’ll be the three of us again once you’re fine again, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m in love with you but you’re not supposed to know.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, Dinah is tempted to tell her that she knows, tell her what she has revealed; then, she decides against it, she has no idea how Helena might react to that revelation and she doesn’t want to upset her even further, so she figures that bringing it up when Helena already is in a bad place isn’t a good idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena takes in a slow, controlled breath, in an attempt to get her emotions under control; not quite sure what to do, Dinah moves her hand to rub her back a bit, and that seems to have been the right idea, as the assassin gives her a small smile, then sighs, looking embarrassed now, but at least, Dinah thinks to herself, she doesn’t look so desolate anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare apologize now”, she says, before Helena has the chance to actually speak up, “you have nothing to apologize for. It’s okay to have feelings, and frankly, I’d be more worried if you hadn’t been bothered at all by last night’s adventure.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Harley told me that too”, Helena mumbles, earning a questioning look which prompts her to elaborate, “that… that’s okay to have feelings. But I have been nothing but angry for so long so… I’m not sure I can handle anything… else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what you got friends for now”, Dinah tells her, glad when she earns another small smile, “you got us to help you figure this stuff out. And it’s perfectly normal and fine to feel worried or scared after what has happened last night, this could have gone very wrong, as I’ve said, I’d worry more if this didn’t make you feel anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, Helena looks as if she wants to say something else, and Dinah is sure that she maybe will not outright confess, but at least drop some sort of hint; then, the assassin just gives a brief nod, and says nothing, and Dinah thinks back to what Harley has told her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You want anything to come from this, it’ll have to come from you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Guess she truly was right about that</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she ponders as she gives Helena’s back another pat, then uses the coffee machine as an excuse to give her some space, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’ll have to make a move if you want anything to come from this. And that is exactly what I want and will do.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiles to herself as she prepares the coffee, a vague plan forming in her mind, and she hopes it all will work out the way she wants it to.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ohoho Dinah, what are you planning? x)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In the afternoon, Dinah excuses herself for a while, telling Helena she has some errands to run; the assassin doesn’t seem suspicious, just nods and tells her she’ll probably take another nap then, and that is something Dinah is glad about, as it will make setting her plan into motion much easier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tells Helena she won’t be long and that she’ll have her phone with her, in case she needs anything, then grabs her wallet and Helena’s spare key and heads out; she makes sure to only google what she needs once she’s outside, so Helena won’t catch a glimpse of her screen, and once she has all the info, she gets into her car and starts driving, glancing at her phone every now then and so she won’t get lost as the navigation takes her to a part of town she’s not quite familiar with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She makes two stops, the two locations thankfully not far from each other, the sooner she gets back, the higher her chance will be that she’ll get to ready everything before Helena wakes from her nap; she hopes Helena will be asleep deeply enough to not be woken by any noise she might make, but she can be quiet if she has to, and she’s very determined to be quiet for this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, traffic is light when she drives back to Helena’s place, and when she carefully unlocks the door and practically sneaks inside, she can hear snoring from the bedroom; glad at how well this is working out for her, Dinah gets to work, determined to finish setting up before Helena wakes, and eager to see the look on her face when she finally will.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>When Helena wakes up quite some time after Dinah has left, she feels much better again, to her relief; at first, she’s not quite sure why she has woken up, then she blinks and sees Dinah standing in the doorframe of her bedroom, the singer apparently having been watching her sleep for a while, a gentle smile curling her lips as their eyes meet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey”, Dinah then says, “slept well?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena nods, and is glad when that doesn’t make her dizzy again, another sign that she is recovering; Dinah gives her another smile, then asks her if she’s hungry, and Helena realizes she is, so she nods again as she comes to her feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good”, Dinah says, and Helena is fairly certain there is a hint of mischief in her smile now, “cause I got a surprise for you. Come on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Curious, Helena follows her into the living room, and stops dead there - because Dinah has moved the table in front of the couch - somehow without waking her - and has spread a blanket on the floor, and on that blanket, there’s an impressively large selection of food, a second, closer look revealing that it seems to be authentic Italian food, she can even spot the mortadella she’s loved to eat ever since she’s been little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I decided to go out and get you a little treat”, Dinah says, Helena’s silence making her a bit nervous, “I googled for Italian stores and found this nice little deli, the guy promised me it’s all authentic and imported.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you”, Helena says, and she sounds so choked up that Dinah immediately is concerned, “this… shit Dinah, that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinah takes a step closer to her, and places one hand on her back, making the taller woman look at her; now that the moment of truth is so near, Dinah feels nervous, but she can tell herself she can do this, she has danced around this - and around Helena - for long enough, it’s time to reveal the truth and hope for the best.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got you this with an ulterior motive though, you know”, she admits, “cause there is something I have to tell you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay?” Helena says, looking at her curiously, but not with any sort of negative emotion, Dinah notes, and that makes it a bit easier for her to come clean, even though her heart is still beating fast in her chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, the night you got hit on the head”, she starts, Helena nodding along, “you, um… I wasn’t fully honest with you. You didn’t just talk about… that day, you said something else, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did?” Helena says, now looking nervous, but thankfully still not offended or angry; Dinah nods, then takes in a deep breath, grasping the assassin’s hand as she continues, her voice soft and gentle now, the touch and her tone enough to reassure Helena that she’s not unhappy with what has been revealed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You told me you’re in love with me”, Dinah tells her, and immediately, Helena blushes, “and that I can never know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh”, is all Helena can let out, now finding it hard to look the singer in the eye; she suddenly seems to find the carpet very interesting, studying it intently - until Dinah reached out with her other hand, and cupped her jaw, making her look up at her again, the singer smiling at her when their eyes meet once more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you told me, you know”, she lets Helena know, squeezing her hand, “because now I can do this without needing to worry that I’ve been having the wrong idea about us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena has a second to wonder what Dinah means with “do this”, and then she finds out, as the other woman leans in and kisses her; she can feel her knees go weak, but she knows the concussion isn’t to blame this time, and she barely has enough presence of mind to kiss her back, finding it hard to believe that this is really happening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not still asleep and dreaming, am I”, Helena manages once they have pulled apart again, making Dinah laugh slightly, but the assassin knows she’s not laughing at her in a malicious sort of way, a twinkle in the smaller woman’s eyes when she shakes her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No”, she then reassures her, tracing her jawline with her thumb and smiling again when Helena shudders visible in response, “and I’m sorry I wasn’t fully honest and didn’t tell you right away. I wanted to wait until you’re better.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I said that”, Helena says, still blushing, but she’s smiling now as well, finding herself quite unable to stop doing so, “that guy really must have hit me hard.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently”, Dinah agrees with another small laugh, “but… at least one good thing has come from all of this, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah”, Helena agrees at once, being the one to initiate another kiss this time, still smiling when they pull apart again, “totally worth it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happy to hear”, Dinah says, “now, why don’t we try out all this food I got? Wouldn’t want to let it go to waste.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helena nods at once, already eying the mortadella, to Dinah’s amusement; she tugs at her hand, and leads her to the blanket, Helena sitting down first and Dinah ending up right next to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is my favourite ever”, Helena tells her, grabbing a slice of mortadella, “here, try it. Just like that, no bread or cheese, it’s amazing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She doesn’t just hand the slice to her, but actually feeds it to her, and this makes Dinah feel quite turned on; there’s something sensual about being given food like this, and when Helena’s fingers brush her lips in the process, she has to stop herself from actually pulling them into her mouth, strictly telling herself that it would be a bit early for that, and that Helena still might not be well enough for that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is very good”, she lets Helena know once she had munched the slice down; Helena smiles brightly, clearly happy she’s enjoying it, then chooses a slice of cheese, making Dinah smile when she offers it to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And as they sit there on the floor of Helena’s living room, feeding each other and sharing tender kisses in between, she’s oddly glad Helena has taken this hit - it’s led to this, after all, and Dinah is sure that only better things are waiting for them in the future. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And it's done :D Stay tuned for the next one folks ;) Thank you all for reading, commenting and kudos - I hope you enjoyed this :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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